UrbaFarm and Green Diamond

The Green Diamond aeroponic system is at the heart of Urbafarm.

DESIGN

Designed in Alma, Quebec, the vertical rotating garden Green Diamond gets its first runs in 2009. Maxime Bouchard, the original designer, imagined a system that allowed to grow strawberries, lettuce, herbs and other plants. He wanted to do so in a confined space, with minimal light and substrates.

The Green Diamond system took the form of a four-foot-tall cylinder. There are 120 3-inch-diameter cells equally placed on the walls. The system stands on a small table, equipped with a rotating mechanism and a pump, that sprays the water inside the cylinder. Thus sprayed, the water molecules nourish the hanging roots in an optimal way. Very quickly, the aeroponic system obtains unprecedented results. Despite a blistering start, the company will experience a decline in its activities due to lack of service and follow-up with distributors.

Second chance

In 2014, Yanic Lessard bought Mr. Bouchard’s patent, drawings and molds. Since then, many improvements were made to the device, in addition to the new design of a model for cuttings called “Cloner”. Previously associated more or less exclusively with the production of cannabis, the modifications brought to the device has opened the doors to the agriculture markets.

UrbaFarm

It is at this moment that Mr. Lessard joins forces with Stéphane Perron, and together, started working on the concept of urban farms. While the systems could be installed pretty much anywhere, they decided to favor installations in containers or small buildings to maximize control of the growing medium. In greenhouses, whether polyurethane or glass, too many parameters can be affected by exogenous elements to ensure a culture as important as stable.

Certainly, the two also want to be able to adapt their concept according to the space accessible to buyers and their production objectives. They want to offer a version called Micro for the family who wants to do a variety of products for personal use. Secondly, a Mini version for the restaurant owner with enough space to install a 9 tower system in a container that will produce according to the needs of the kitchen. In addition is the Standard 48 tower version, for the farmer willing to produce a volume of product with intent to resell to grocery stores and other food businesses. Finally, the Mega version whose number of systems will be established according to the exploitable area.

“We are working to make agriculture accessible by making fresh, healthy produce available next to where you live.”

Our mission is to offer an innovative and environmentally friendly alternative to the current techniques of growing vegetables, herbs and fruits. In this rapidly changing industry, our primary value is to remain constantly relevant to the market, by playing a leading role in the integration of agriculture in urban and remote areas. It is by offering adapted solutions that we allow farmers to remain at the forefront of the evolution of agricultural techniques.